Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante has his first title defense lined up and it’s against none other than Dan Henderson at the upcoming Strikeforce show set for March 5 in Columbus, Ohio.

The bout between Feijao and Henderson has been rumored for some time, but the champion’s manager Ed Soares confirmed the fight when speaking with MMAWeekly Radio on Tuesday.

“That’s the fight that we’re training for,” Soares commented. “It should be a good fight. Feijao and Dan Henderson, that’s gonna be a great bout.”

Cavalcante won the belt back in August when he TKO’d former champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. Since that time the Brazilian has been waiting for the promotion to sort out the division and find a new top contender.

Dan Henderson earned the shot by putting away Renato “Babalu” Sobral in devastating fashion with a first round knockout when the pair met in early December 2010.

The fight between Cavalcante and Henderson has been on the radar for some time now, but sources indicated to MMAWeekly.com as recently as a week ago that a few contract details had to be sorted out. It appears everything is now a go.

Cavalcante, who trains with current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva as well as several other top fighters, hit the mainstream with his performance over Lawal, but his manager believes beating a fighter the caliber of Dan Henderson will definitely take him to a whole new level.

“A win over a guy like Dan Henderson, that’s good for anybody’s career,” said Soares. “The guy has a spot in the who’s who of the sport and he’s fought against the best, and he has an incredible record. His losses, I don’t think he has any losses to anyone who haven’t been champion. I think it’s going to be a super exciting fight.”

Strikeforce has yet to officially announce the event, but it’s expected to take place on March 5 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. Several other fights have been rumored for the card including the possible participation of Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez as well as knockout artist Paul Daley.

The bout between Feijao and Henderson is expected to be the main event for the show.